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E. RIBGELMANN. v VALVE FOR EXPANSION CYLINDERS 0E VAPDR COMPRESSION ENGINES.

No. 521,731. PatentedJune 1 9, 1894.

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8 E. RIBGELMANN. VALVE FOR EXPANSION GYLINDBRS'OF VAPOR COMPRESSION EIVGIIVES. No. 521,731; Patented June 19,1894.

Q: V Q N Inventor inesses I IT ED STATES -EllL-ILRIEGELMANN, OFVAUGVSBURG, GERMANY- VALVE Foe EXPANSION-CYLIND'ERS'OF VAPOR-COMPRESSION ENGINES.

SPEGIFIQATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 521,731, dated J 1 ,1

llpplication filed December 26,1891. Serial No. 416,195. (No model.) Patented in Germany June 4, 1891, No. 60,282: in England September 15, 1891, No. 15,629, and in Austria-Hungary August 23, 1892, No. 45,458 and'No- SlfliO- a To all whom it may concern.

Be itiknown that I, EMIL RIEGELMANN, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, and a resident of Augsburg, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in -Valves for Expansion- Cylinders of Vapor Compression Engines, (for which I have obtained Letters Patent in Germany, No.'60,282,

dated J une 4, 1891; in Great Britain, No.

15,629, dated September 15, 1891, and in Aus tria-Hungary, No..45,458 and No. 31,7 40, dated August 23, 1892,) of which the following is a specification.

The refrigerating liquid, such" for instance as carbonic acid, ammonia, sulphurous acid,

, Pictet liquid, or the like, coming from the a condenser of a vapor compression engine posthe so-called expansion cylinder. .25

sesses'a certain capacity for doing work, before it enters the refrigerator where it produces cold by evaporation. This work can be, utilized'by allowing the refrigerating liquid,

on its way from the condenser to the refrigerator, to expand and do work in a cylinder,

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates the general arrangement of a vapor compression engine of this kind. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of my improvement; and Fig.

3 is'a modification thereof. v

Referring to Fig. 1, the gas which is drawn out of the refrigerator. B through the pipe 13 and valve A, is compressed in the cylinder S. The compressed gas then passes, by

means of the delivery valves 0, through the pipe D, to the condenser K, in which it is liquefied by being. cooled. The refrigerating liquid now passes through the pipe E and inlet ,valve F into the expansion cylinder T in which it'does work that may be utilized in assisting to drive the piston of the compression cylinder S. The mixture of expanded gas and liquidis conveyed by means of the valves L and the pipes M' to the refrigerator R in which cold is produced in the well known manner. The refrigerating liquid thustravels in a continual cycle in the direction of the arrows. 1 Y

Heretofore the inlet valves F and the outlet valves L ofthe expansion cylinder have been operated by a mechanical valve-motion, but according to the present invention, the

difference in the pressures in the condenser and in the refrigerator is employed to operate those valves. This arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 2, as applied to a vapor compression engine, whose-compression cylinder is combined with then-expansion cylinder in such a manner that in the right hand half, S, of the cylinder, compression is effected, while expansion takes place in the left half T.

The various pipes and valves are marked chamber d of thed-istributing valve J. The

pipe D having no valve the space a freely communicates with the condenser. The cham 'berf is connected by a pipe g with 'the suc tion pipe B coming from the refrigerator R. The valve J is normally held to its seat by. a spring, and its rod- 19 extends into the cyllnder T. A throttle valve H is inserted in the pipe I). The outlet valve L of the expansion half -T of the cylinder is pressed against its seat by a spring h, and the prolonged, valve rod works in a closed chamber Zwhich is con- 'nected by a pipe m with the ,pipe 0. The pipe M connects the expansion half T, of the cylinder, with the refrigerator. Asthe piston P in' the cylinder S T is about to complete itsmovement' to the left in the direction of the arrow, it strikes against the rod 19 of the valve J, so that the latter opens and communication is made between the chambers d and f. In consequence of this, the gas contained in the chamber a of the inlet valve F, can pass through the pipe 0 to the. chamber d, thence through the open valve J to the chamberf, and through pipe gto the pipe B, where a much. less pressure exists than in the pipe D. The throttle valve H prevents too quick a rush of gas through pipe I) to the space a, and in consequence of the decrease in press- -ure in this space a, and in response torthe pressure on the opposite side of the piston or movable abutment G, this piston G rises, thus opening the valve F, and the condensed refrigerating liquid flows out of pipe E into the expansion half of the cylinder. The piston P moves to the right, and immediately after the beginning of this movement the distributing valve J is closed again by the action of its spring, so that the communication between the spaces (Z and f is interrupted, and gas can no longer flow from the space a to the pipe B. In consequence of this tlie-pressure in the space a soon increases, so that the valve F is again closed. The duration of this equalizing of pressure is determined by means of the throttle valve H. The more the latter is opened, the quicker the valve F is closed, and

the smaller is the charge. If it is desired to dispense with this variation of the extent of charge, the throttle valve H can be replaced by a mere fine opening. During the further movement to the right, the refrigerating liquid expands lilille expansion half T of the cyl inder, and performs work by acting upon the left face of the piston P.

The action of the valve L is as follows:- While the valve J is closed, the pressure of the gas in the pipe m acting upon the valve rod in the chamber Z is greater than the pressure of the spring It. When this valve J is opened, the gas in the pipe in finds an outlet through the pipe 0, chambers d and f,

and pipe g; consequently the pressure in the chamber Z on the rod of the valve L is diminished and the spring it closes the valve. During the admission of the refrigerating liquid into the space T and its expansion therein, the pressure of the same tends to keep the valve L closed until the liquid in the space T has, by partial evaporation, reached a pressure equal to that in the refrigerator. Then (the valve J having meanwhile closed) the increased pressure in chamber Z causes the valve L to open so that communication is made between the expansion half T of the cylinder andv the refrigerator through pipe M. The valve L then remains open until the piston P, nearing the end of its return stroke to the left, acts upon the rod 19 and opens the valve J, as before explained. Finally the outlet valve L may be caused to close automatically by means of a second distributing valve. Fig. 3 illustrates this modification. The said distributing valve J 2 is arranged, instead of in the cylinder cover, externally to the same,

in a separate casing, in such a manner that the valve rod projecting from the casing is struck by an adjustable pin carried by an arm P fixed on the piston rod, thereby opening the valve. The valve L is in this case, modified as regards the construction shown in Fig. 2, by securing on its rod a piston g which moves in a suitable casing and divides the latter into two spaces Z Z The space l communicates by a pipe m with one chamber of the casing of the distributing valve J whose other chamber is connected with the condenser, or with the pressure pipe of the latter. In the space Z is the spring h which opens the valve L as soon as the pressure in the space T of the cylinder is equal to or smaller than the pressure in the chamber Z The chamber Z communicates by a pipe in with the refrigerator or with the pipe of the latter. i

The operation of this modification is as follows: At the end of the exhaust period, the rod of the valve J is struck by the arm P fixed on the piston rod, thus openingthe said valve J whereby the pressure in the chainher 1 of the outlet valve rises to condenser pressure, and closes the valve L by excess of pressure upon the piston g over that of the spring it. During the next following period of admission, the pressure escapes from the chamber Z to the refrigerator through the small space 8 or through any other small or throttled way, as for instance through ap pe s in substitution for the said space 3, leading from the chamber 1 to the refrigerator pipe, so that at the end of the expansion period refrigerator pressure exists in the chamber 6 Now, as the chamber Z is constantly nnder refrigerator pressure, the piston g 1s without influence on the valve L; the latter is solely under the influence of the spring 71. which opens it as soon as the pressure in the expansion space T has fallen to refrigerator pressure. The distributing valve 2 might be arranged in the cylinder cover similarly to the distributing valve J shown in Fig. 2 and be opened by direct impact of the piston. Also the valve J of the first described arrangement can, similarly to the valve J be arranged externally to the cylinder cover in a separate casing, and the rod 19 be actuated by an arm fixed on the piston similar to the arm P or by any other suitable part of the engine.

In a double acting expansion cylinder, it will be evident that each endot' the cylinder will receive the same arrangement.

Instead of transmitting the work of the expansion cylinder to the compression cylinder, the said work may be utilized in any other manner, as for example in an independent motor.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a vapor compressing engine having a refrigerator anda condenser, the combination of the expansion cylinder and its piston with an inlet valve and a movable abutment therefor moved in one direction by condenser pressure and in the other by refrigerator pressure, and outlet valves for the expansion cylinder controlled by condenser pressure, substantially as described.

2. In a vapor compressing engine having a refrigerator and a condenser, the combination of the expansion cylinder and its piston with inlet and outlet valves for the expansion cylinder, supplementary controlling valve J a pipe connection from one side of the valve J to the condenser and from the other side of the valve to the refrigerator, the said valve J being operated by the piston to control the action of the pressure from the IIO condenser on the saidinlet and outletvaives,

all substantially as described.

3. The combination of an inlet. valve for the expansion'cylinder controlled by a piston working fluid-tight in a casing with a pipeconnection between the condenser and the space between the valve and its piston, two

v pipeconnections with the space on theother side of the piston, one communicating with the condenser and being throttled, the other leading to the refrigerator and provided with a valve, and means for automatically openmg and closing the last named valve, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

' 4. The combination of anoutlet valve for the expansion cylinder to the refrigerator and a valve casing, with a spring to close the valve,

a pipe connection leading from thecondenser to the casing back of the valve rod, whereby thepressure from the condenser overcomes the pressure of the spring as soon as the pressure in the expansion cylinder is p about the same as that in the. refrigerator,

and means forcontrolling the'pressure from the condenser on the back of'the said valve 25 rod, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. I 4

5. In a vapor compressing engine having a condenser, the combination of the expansion cylinder with an inlet valve for the cylinder, 0 apiston to control the said valve a pipe commun'icating with the condenser and leading tothe space beyond the piston, and an adj ust- V ablethrottlein the said pipe, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. y 35 I In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. v

EMlL RIEGELMANN. Witnesses: I

JosEF N IEMTOCTIS RUN,

\ HANS HAMERLE. 

